Electric speed-signal.



I. B. KIMPFUN.

ELECTRIC SPEED SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 11. 19,14.

1,199,888. Patentedsept. 26,1916.

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I. B. KIIVIPFLIN.

ELECTRIC SPEED SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. IZ. 1914.

l 1 9 9, 3.88 Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

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` @mf/441. m44/ J0 JOSEPH B. KIMPFLIN, 0F AKRON, OHIO.

Enncrnic eenen-sienne.

To all whom t mag/:concern:

- especially to be used in connection with automobiles and the like, and has for its object the production of an efficient indicator wherein different colored lights will be indicated upon the automobile or machine at any desired point for the purpose of observation by the public, or for the observation of the driver of the machine in order to enable him to determine as to the approximate speed at which the automobile is traveling.

Another object of this invention is the i is a front elevation of the automobile. Fig.

2 is a front elevation of the c ontact or circuit closure showing the electrical wiring in diagram. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view through the. circuit closure and speedometer. Fig. 4 is a central horizontal section through the speedometer casing. Fig. 5l is a sectional view' through the governor showing the manner 1n which the same is vconnecte to the sliding collar carried by the governor shaft. Fig. 6 is a front elevation of one of the contact gures suported within the speedometer casing. Fig. a' section taken on line 7-7, of Fig. 6.-

'FigLdgS lis a longitudinally-l. section through a portion rof, `the dashboard ofthe vehicle' showing the `'manner1iii;i.`v vhich the bankA ,of` lampstis supported in engagement there-V` with.. Fig. 9is a perspective view ofone of the'contact fingers used in connection with the present invention. Fig. 10 1s a perspective view of the spring/.pressed shoe adapt- Y Specification of Letters Eatent.

Application filed October 17, v1914-. Serial No. 867,133.

ed to engage the collar actuating lever for holding the lever in an inactive position. Fig, 11 is a perspective view of the closure closing shoe. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the sliding collar operating crank arm. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of a series of washers used in connection with locking the contact arms in engagement with the binding posts carried by the speedometer casing.

By referrin to the drawings it will be seen that 1 designates the vehicle which carries a driving gear 2 upon one axle thereof, which meshes with a gear 3 carried by the speedometer casing 4. The gear 3 is supported` by a shaft 5, which shaft passes through the speedometer casing 4 as above described, and this shaft 5 carries a ballbearing journal 6 for the purpose of facilitating the free rotation lof the shaft 5 within the casing 4. lt should be understood that the casing 4 may` be supported in any desired manner upon the vehicle.

-As is clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, the shaft 5 carries a governor 7 which is pivotally mounted thereon by means of a journal pin 8. This governor 7 constitutes a ring which straddles the shaft y5 and is adapted to be swung outwardly according to the speed at which the shaft 5 is rotating.

The governor 7 carriesa link 9, and this link 9 is secured to a collar 10, which collar is slidably mounted upon the shaft 5. A coil spring 11 engages the rear face of the collar 10 and normally urges the collar 10 outwardly. The rear end of the spring 411 engages a transversely extending pin 13 as is illustrated in Fig. 5.

A band 14 is loosely mounted upon the sliding collar 10, and this band carries a laterally extending pin 15 over which fits the elongated slot 16 of the lever arm 17. This lever arm 17 is pivotally mounted on a bracket 18 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, and the lever arm 17 is provided with a shoe engaging kuobg19 at one end thereof for the purpose of engaging the shoe `20 which is normally forced outwardly by means of a spring 21. Thespring 21 is so mounted as to urge the shoe 20 outwardly as illustrated in full, lines in Fig. 4 andA normally holds .the lever arm 17 aninactive position. The shoe 20'is 'keyed to a shaft 22, which shaft 22 also carries on its opposite end a contact shoe 23 as clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. This contact shoe 23 is provided with a T-shaped head 24 as illustrated in detail chine in u ig. Ill, and the l2-shaped head 2d adapted to engage the contacts 25 mami-tedy upon 'the face plate 26 of the speedometer casing l.. 'it should be understood that the face plate 23 may Le formed of porcelain or other suitable insulating material..

il. 1 27 are secured to the face plate 26, and these screws 27 carry a plurality of washers 23, which carry or support the spring Contact members 25. rlhese spring contact members 25 are provided with rolled. contact ends 30 which are adapted to facilitate the sliding of the contact shoe 23 over the contact points 25. f

By referring to lFig. 2 it will be seen that a plurality of lamps 31, 32 and 33 are mounted upon a banlr 3a, which banlr .is adapted to be supported upon the dashboard of the vehicle or any other suitable or convenient place to be viewed by the operator of the machine. 1f desired the banlr lamps may be placed in another portion of the mathe operator, such as for instance upon the front or rear of the machine so as to be viewed by a person upon the side of the road or by a person whom the machine is passing.

For the purpose of indicating the speed at which the machine or automobile is traveling, two white lights are employed which are indicated by the numeral 31, two green lights indicated by the numeral 32, and two red lights indicated by the numeral 33. The white lights 31 are connected to a wire 35, which wire is connected to a battery or other suitable source of electric supply 36. The wire 35 is connected directly to a binding post 37 carried by the contact shoe 23. Each of the white lights 31 are connected to the two adj acentY contact shoes 25 by means of the respective conductor wires 38 and 39 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The two green lights 32 are also connected to the wire 35 and are connected to the two contact fingers 25 by means of the respective wires 40 and 41. The red lights 33 are also connected to the wire 35 and are connected to the last two contact points 25 by means of the respective wires 412 and 213. It will,

` therefore, be seen that as the speed of the indicator increases, the respective lights will be lighted in their order so as to allow the operator of the machine to readily determine the speed at which the machine is travcling. v

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the operation is as follows: The shaft 5 is driven bymeans of the gear 2 and as the speed of rotation of the shaft 5 increases, the 'governor ring 7 will move substantially at right angles to the shaft 5 and swing the lever arm 17 inwardly due rality of binding or lposts to be viewed by some one other 'than indicated by the arrow i the same time rotate 'une swing the Contact shoe 23 in the direction lice-.ted by the in Fi 2 and close uit between the Contact members u ghd the respective lights 3l, 32 and 33, thereby lighting the desisignals.

By carefully considering 13 it will be that the washers 28 are provide@ suitable grooves 23 for the purpose of receiving the inner round ends 22A of the spring contacts 29, thereby firmly holding 'the contact members in engagement with the washers 23.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new, is

hA device of the class described comprising a casing, a governor shaft, means for driving said governor shaft, a governor ring carried by said shaft, a collar slidably mounted upon said shaft, means for connecting said collar to said ring, a lever pivotally supported upon said casing and engaging said collar, a contact shoe, a shaft supporting said contact shoe, a spring pressed shoe engaging said shaft and also engaging said lever whereby said contact shoe will be swung as said collar is reciprocated upon said shaft, contact devices adapted to be engaged by said contact shoe, indicating lights, and means connecting said indicating lights to said contact device whereby the same will be successively lighted as said contact shoe is swung.

2. A device of the class described comprising a casing, a governor shaft, means for driving said governor shaft, a governor ring carried by said governor shaft, a collar slidably mounted thereon, means for connecting said collar to said governor shaft, a lever connected to said collar, said lever being pivotally mounted upon said casing, a spring pressed shoe engaging one end of said lever, a shaft fxedly secured to said spring pressed shoe, a contact shoe connected to said last mentioned shaft, a plurality of spring contact devices carried by said casing, indicating lights, and means for electrically connecting said indicating lights with said contact device.

3. A device of the class described comprising a casing, a governor shaft, means for driving the same, a sliding collar mount\ ed upon said shaft, means for reciprocating said collar upon said shaft, a lever pivotally mounted upon'said casing, said collar provided with a laterally extendin pin, said lever provided with a longitu inally extending slot to facilitate the swinging of said lever'as said collar is reciprocated upon said shaft, a spring pressed shoe engaging said lever, a shaft keyed to said spring igieegees 'carried thereon, means for-connecting said collar` to said governor shaft, a lever connected to seid collar,l a shoe engaging ene end oi said lever7 a shaft securedto seid shoe7 a contact shoe connected to said last mentioned shaft, a plurality of contact de-f vices carried by said casing, indicating' 2c -d means for electrically ccnnectindicating lights with said contact device.,

ln testimony whereof ll hereunto arr my signature in presence of two witnessesD JSEPH B., KMPFLN.

l/lfitnesses G'. el. Seinem, Femenino `W RoBsoN. 

